Free Beauty and the Bull Rider by Victoria Vane

Delaney. We all need a hand from time to time.”
    â€œI’m sorry, Zac. I’m not used to anyone offering.”
    â€œWait a minute,” he said, suddenly putting two and two together. “You share miles of common fence with the Circle B. Are you saying Tom never helped you?”
    â€œTom’s first loyalty was always to Ty. He’d never refuse to help me, of course, but he didn’t exactly go out of his way to make things easier on me either, so I never asked him.”
    â€œYou shouldn’t have had to ask,” Zac said. “Helping when someone needs it is just being neighborly.”
    â€œMaybe, but most of my ‘neighbors’ around here want me to fail and go back to Houston.”
    â€œWas Tom among them?” Zac asked.
    â€œMaybe. I know for certain his foreman was one of them.”
    â€œYou mean ol’ Bart?”
    â€œYeah. Bart. That mean ol’ fart made no secret that he doesn’t like me. That’s why I tried never to ask for anything.”
    â€œBut Bart doesn’t like anybody, me included. He also doesn’t run the place anymore,” Zac said. “If you need something, I’m here for you.”
    â€œThanks for the gesture,” she said softly. “I appreciate it.”
    â€œIt’s not a damned gesture ,” he almost growled. “I mean it. If there’s anything you can’t or don’t want to handle, Delaney, I want you to call me.”
    â€œThank you, Zac. If there’s anything I can’t handle, I promise I’ll call. I really have to get back to this fence. Was there a reason you phoned?”
    Her question brought him back around to his purpose. “Well, yeah. I called because I’m going to look at some bucking bulls for Ty. There’s a big herd reduction at an outfit just north of Laredo. I hear they’ve been producing some pretty rank stock by crossing some bucking lines with fighting bulls. Any chance you’d like to come along?”
    â€œTo Laredo?” She hesitated, calculating the distance. “You’ll probably stay overnight, won’t you?”
    â€œYeah. If you wanted to go, I thought we could spend a night in San Antonio. We can get separate rooms if that’s what you’re worried about.”
    â€œI don’t think so, Zac,” she finally replied. “I appreciate the offer, but I really can’t get away right now. Too much work to do.”
    â€œDo you want me to take a look at the prospects for you? You’d probably do better if I negotiate for you anyway.”
    â€œWhy’s that?” she asked, bristling with resentment. “You think I don’t know a good prospect when I see one?”
    â€œDon’t be so defensive, Delaney. I only meant they might try to take advantage of you, given that most people know you have a lot of money to throw around.”
    â€œOh. I thought you meant—”
    â€œI didn’t.”
    â€œI’m sorry, Zac. I’m just so used to people misjudging me.”
    â€œReally? How ironic,” he mumbled.
    â€œWhat’s that supposed to mean?”
    â€œIsn’t that what you’ve been doing all along with me?”
    â€œHow?” she asked.
    â€œFirst, you blamed me for your divorce. Then, at the auction, you assumed I was stealing your heifer. Since then, you’ve implied more than once that I have the morals of an alley cat. You don’t think a whole lot of my character, do you?”
    â€œI’m sorry, Zac. I admit that I thought you only wanted sex, but there’s no reason for you to go to such ridiculous lengths for it. Maybe I jumped to a few conclusions.”
    â€œIt’s time to stop jumping, Delaney. I’m not one of those people who want to see you fail. I respect what you’ve accomplished.”
    â€œYou do?” Her tone rose in surprise.
    â€œDamn straight,” he replied. “I’m in your corner and I